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Alyssa Milano Addresses Rose McGowan’s Insult: She ‘Was Hurting So Badly’ (Exclusive)

Rose McGowan and Alyssa Milano attend In Style and Warner Bros. 2007 Golden Globe After Party.
Rose McGowan and Alyssa Milano attend In Style and Warner Bros. 2007 Golden Globe After Party.Kevin Mazur/WireImage

She know’s how to shake it off. Alyssa Milano is no stranger to speaking her mind — or the backlash that can oftentimes come with it — and when Us Weekly caught up with her at the UNICEF Ball on Saturday, April 14, she opened up about how she deals with the haters, including fellow Charmed alum Rose McGowan.

Related: Hollywood’s Sexual Misconduct Scandals

Though the Brave author recently called the Project Runway All-Stars host “a lie” for her involvement with the Time’s Up movement, Milano tells Us that she doesn’t “see that as the same thing as hate.” She added, “I see that as a beautiful soul that was hurting so badly that she was talking from that hurt. And I understand.”

Alyssa Milano attends the 7th Biennial UNICEF Ball at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
Alyssa Milano attends the 7th Biennial UNICEF Ball at The Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Tara Ziemba/AFP/Getty Images

Milano, 45, added about haters and others who might disagree with her positions: “I try not to let it affect me because I believe so much in what I fight for that I feel like the hate, and maybe this is just me spinning it in my own mind, the hate means that I’m actually doing something right.”

Related: Stars Speak Out Against Harvey Weinstein Amid Sexual Misconduct Scandal

“So for me, I try not to pay too much attention to it,” she continued. “It gets hard some days, obviously.”

As previously reported, McGowan, 44, slammed Milano for her support of the movement — which aims to help provide legal support for victims of sexual assault, harassment and inequality in the workplace — during a January interview with Nightline coanchor Juju Chang.

“I don’t like her,” McGowan said at the time. The Citizen Rose star continued: “Do you think I don’t know these people? Do the math,” she said, referencing Milano’s husband, David Bugliari, who is a Hollywood agent. “Who’s behind Time’s Up? CAA. Where do they meet? CAA? Who needs good PR? CAA. Who are part of the pimp problem? CAA.”

Milano responded to McGowan’s comments in a statement to Nightline at the time. “I am and always have been completely supportive of Rose and admire her bravery and speaking out about her experiences,” she said. “My goal throughout the past few months with both #MeToo and the TimesUp movement has been to use my platform to give others a voice so we can all work together to stamp out sexual harassment and sexual assault.”

Related: Biggest Scandals of 2017

Milano and McGowan starred alongside each other on Charmed for five seasons from 2001 to 2006.

Reporting by Taylor Ferber

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